Melatonin: A blooming biomolecule for postharvest management of perishable fruits and vegetables

Background: The role of melatonin as a neurotransmitter has been much discussed and studied topic in the animal kingdom but its possible role as a ubiquitous biomolecule with the pleiotropic effect is still at infancy stage in the plant kingdom. Melatonin was just known to be the hormone in the human body which regulates our sleep through its involvement in circadian rhythm or biological clock until its detection in the plant kingdom in the early 90s. Since then, scientists worldwide started working prospectively about its various functions and roles in plants. Now its role in attenuating abiotic and biotic stresses in standing crops has been studied and validated at a commercial level in various cereal and horticultural crops. Food is thy medicine but the abusive use of chemicals rendered them poisonous and consumers being more vigilant and mindful about the food they are consuming are now demanding the chemical free food stuffs. So, in recent years, the trend of using safer alternatives for the control of postharvest diseases of fresh fruits and vegetables have shown a significant increase and hence pressurized the scientists to think about the potential use of melatonin for various postharvest problems. Scope and approach: In this review, we have discussed briefly about melatonin's function as potent postharvest treatment for controlling biotic and abiotic stresses and had made an attempt to gather information on its possible roles in postharvest management of fruits and vegetables. Key findings and conclusions: Melatonin can be a good alternative to harmful chemicals which are used commercially in postharvest management of fruits. The use of melatonin addresses the major hurdles in postharvest management of fruits such as chilling injury and fruit decay, and it helps in extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by delaying ripening and senescence whilst maintaining better fruit quality.